How to Save on Utilities

Ways to Save on Cooling Costs

Heating and air conditioning usually represent the biggest portion of home energy bills. As we head into the hottest part of the year, here are some ideas on saving money in the long run:

Get 'In the Zone': Creating heating and cooling zones that let parts of your house become warmer and cooler than other parts is a great way to save both energy and money. If your home has a ducted system and wasn't originally designed with a zone system in mind, you can have a professional install a series of motorized dampers in certain ducts that will create a zone effect.

Install Room Air-Conditioning Units: If your family spends a majority of time in one room or area of your home, like the family room or TV room, you can install a window unit or portable unit in that room and use that unit for part of the day instead of turning on your central air conditioning. You can always turn your central air conditioner on for those times of the day when your family is dispersed throughout the house.

Install Ceiling Fans: The latest technology means that ceiling fans achieve better air circulation and can now help you save as much as 30% on your energy bill. Be sure to look for the Energy Star designation for energy efficiency.

Inspect Your Ductwork: Recent research has shown that central heating and cooling systems that use ductwork can lose as much as 50% of their energy through leaks. It is important to have your ductwork inspected by a contractor every three years to make sure your system is operating at maximum efficiency.

Install Heat-Recovery Ventilators (HRVs): Not only do HRVs get rid of air contaminants like odors, dust, and mold, they also grab much of the cold or heat from the outgoing air and recycle it back into your home with the incoming fresh air. These units are especially helpful if your home is tightly sealed.

I hadn't previously heard of a HRV (heat recovery ventilator) -- thanks for the tip.

A pretty painless way of trimming 3.75% off your utility bills is to pay for them with a Chase Freedom card. (It pays 3% cash back on utilities and other categories with a $50 bonus if you wait 'til you've accrued $200. That works out to 3.75% cash back.) You can read more about it here:
Save 3.75% cash back rebate on Utilities and 14 other categories with the Chase Freedom Visa credit card (http://www.uthunk.com/Automotive/Gasoline/Save-375-cash-back-rebate-15-categories-Chase-FreedomSM-Visa-credit-card)

Sound advice. I've saved quite a lot when I've cut the habit of leaving the computer on or having the TV on standby. The little things make up the chunk.

we should focus on watching our electrical appliances..especially if you got LCD monitors..that can consumes allot of power.

Here's another idea that I've posted just now:
http://forums.kiplinger.com/showthread.php?t=14520

Use a timer. It can save on your bills too.

Great tips!!!

Also a good thing to do is to have double or triple pane windows and thick sealed doors. This will trap most of your heating and cooling inside the home instead of letting it escape. This alone can save you an avg. of 30 - 60% on your energy bill.

Another thing, for the most used part of your home, you can use small space heaters instead of turning on the thermostat. You can find these little Powerhouses at stores like Walmart or Kmart for about $15 - $20 bucks. I got one and it's about 6 inches wide and 12 inches tall and it heats up about 3 mid-sized rooms. Works just as good as the thermostat in my opinion and saves me a ton of money too!-)

Saving on Electric Bills

* When purchasing new appliances always try to get the ones that are energy efficient. You can save hundreds of dollars a year by spending the extra money to get the energy efficient models.

* Get in the habit of turning off all lights and appliances that are not being used. You'll be surprised at how quickly the energy savings will add up.

* When not watching television make sure that you keep it off. This is the number one electricity waster in the world.

* The dryer will use less energy if you dry loads of clothing one after another because the dryer will already be hot. What an easy way to save money and get your laundry done more quickly.

* Use low-wattage light bulbs or energy efficient fluorescent lighting. Compact fluorescent typically last ten times longer and they use 75% less electricity.

* Call your utility company to find out if they have off-peak hours and when they are. Many companies charge less for your electricity at night and more during the day. By doing your laundry and dishes during off-peak hours you could easily save money off of your utility bill.

Regards

We have a good size bedroom. I plan to set up a small desk there and put in a window air conditioner.